Catholic nuns in Atlantic City, N.J. lost their bid to block a dispensary just 150 feet from their home as city officials approved the business in what they're calling a bid to make the area the weed capital of the East Coast.
Mayor Marty Small Sr.'s administration sees the new cannabis businesses as powerful economic engines, potentially attracting investment and jobs into the city. Kashawn "Kash" McKinley, the city's cannabis czar, echoes this sentiment.
"My focus is to make Atlantic City great, to make Atlantic City the East Coast hub for cannabis," McKinley told Delaware Online in April.
Neighboring Nuns Object
Nuns from the Franciscan Sisters of the Renewal Convent, which was established in the South Bronx in 1988, voiced concerns about the dispensary's proximity to their classes, including those they offer to teenagers as well as sobriety meetings, reported the New York Post. They also expressed concern about crime escalating in the area.
Sister Joseph Van Munster, drawing on her Dutch experience with legal marijuana, told the CRDA at a hearing in November that a new dispensary could be harmful for people dealing with substance abuse issues working toward recovery.
"I'm actually Dutch, so I grew up in a country where marijuana was legalized, and I've seen a lot of things over the years," Sister Joseph Van Munster said.
This isn't the first time religious groups have clashed with Atlantic City's cannabis ambitions. Over the summer, members of the Chelsea Baptist Church spoke out against a planned cannabis business about a block away — but that, too, wound up being approved by the board.
Read also: Atlantic City: Claridge Hotel's Former Gambling Casino To Become New Jersey's First Cannabis Lounge
Jersey's Booming Weed Market
Since recreational cannabis sales became legal in New Jersey on April 21, 2022, the marijuana market has grown by leaps and bounds and continues to evolve into a dynamic industry.
Multi-state operators in New Jersey include Acreage Holdings (OTCQX: ACRDF) Ascend Wellness (OTCQX: AAWH), AYR Wellness (OTCQX: AYRWF) Curaleaf (OTC: CURLF), Green Thumb (OTC: GTBIF), Columbia Care (OTC: CCHWF) TerrAscend (OTC: TRSSF) and Verano Holdings (OTCQX: VRNOF).
Photo: YouTube video of Franciscan Sisters of the Renewal
新泽西州大西洋城的天主教修女在封锁离家仅150英尺的药房的申请中败诉，因为市政府官员批准了该业务，他们称之为使该地区成为东海岸的大麻之都。
市长 Marty Small Sr.政府将新的大麻业务视为强大的经济引擎，有可能为该市吸引投资和就业机会。该市的大麻沙皇卡肖恩· “卡什” · 麦金莱也表达了这种观点。
麦金莱在四月份告诉《特拉华在线》：“我的重点是让大西洋城变得更好，让大西洋城成为东海岸的大麻中心。”
邻近的修女物体
据《纽约邮报》报道，1988年在南布朗克斯区成立的复兴修道院方济会修女会的修女们对药房离他们的课堂很近表示担忧，包括他们为青少年提供的药房和清醒会议。他们还对该地区犯罪升级表示关切。
约瑟夫·范·芒斯特修女借鉴了她在荷兰使用合法大麻的经历，在11月的一次听证会上告诉CRDA，新药房可能对努力康复的处理药物滥用问题的人有害。
约瑟夫·范·芒斯特修女说：“我实际上是荷兰人，所以我在一个大麻合法化的国家长大，这些年来我看到了很多东西。”
这不是宗教团体第一次与大西洋城的大麻野心发生冲突。整个夏天，切尔西浸信会教堂的成员大声疾呼反对一个街区之外计划中的大麻生意，但这也最终获得了董事会的批准。
另请阅读：大西洋城：克拉里奇酒店以前的赌博赌场将成为新泽西州的第一家大麻休息室
泽西岛蓬勃发展的大麻市场
自2022年4月21日新泽西州休闲大麻销售合法化以来，大麻市场突飞猛进，并继续发展成为一个充满活力的行业。
新泽西州的多州运营商包括Acreage Holdings（场外交易代码：ACRDF）Ascend Wellness（场外交易代码：AAWH）、AYR Wellness（场外交易代码：AYRWF）、Curaleaf（场外交易代码：CURLF）、Green Thumb（场外交易代码：GTBIF）、哥伦比亚医疗（场外交易代码：CCHWF）TerrAscend（场外交易代码：TRSSF）和维拉诺控股公司（场外交易代码：TRSSF）（场外交易代码：TRSSF）和维拉诺控股公司（场外交易代码：TRSSF）（场外交易代码 OTCQX：VRNOF）。
照片：方济会复兴修女会的YouTube视频
